The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-19
THE RIVER CONVENTION.
AN APPEAL CORRESPONDENT T
TAKES A WIDER VIEW
And Wants to Extend IFS Scope, 80
as 10 Embrace All the.
states
TOUCHING ON THE MISSISSIPPI
AND INTERESTED
In Its Impr oVement, In the Deepen
ing OF ITS Channel and the Pro.
lection OF Its Banks.
To the Editors Of tho Appeal .


Referring to your article indorsing
the scheme for river improvement
convention, to be held in Memphis, II
you will indulge me l will submit
some remarks on the suit ect.
/ regard the scheme as admirable,
both for The direct object OF advancing
the improvement OF the river, and sleo
for q purpose OF perhaps not lese i'm
por ance TO Memphis, that OF bringing
her commercial advantages under the
eyes Of a great many Representative
business men from all the States in
the Mississippi Valley. With this
view / think the proposed convention
can be made most potelt instrument
In forwarding the object which has
engaged the attention OF your com
mercisl exchanges Of late. But to
make 1t effective for this purpose some
exeftion on the part of the merch ants
and other businsts men Of Memphis
will be necessary, and some money
judiciously expended In this direc-
tion would be we'll invested. This
convention, to effect the double object
which 1t may be made to serve,
should not be the result of any
half way measures. The merchants,
the real estate agents, the real estate
own ere, and all others who have q
direct interest in the advancement OF
the commercial interests OF Memph 9,
should take an active part in making
this move q brilliant success. The
delegates TO the convention should be
made the guests Of the city and every
attention shown them, which would
give them an agreeable impression Of
their visit. They should be shosn al
over the city and It's surroundings,
and an excursion could doubtless be
arranged with Maj, ]. M. Edwards for
trip through the Ysz;o Delta to
Greenville, Mics, which would ex.
hibit the richest agricultural lands on
the continent, with their RAPID de-
velopment now going on, all OF which
would emphasis the advantages Of
Memphis rs a commercial center.
would suggest then that the fret move
on the part OF the Merchants AID
Cotton Exchanges be to raise by sub
scription the funds necessary to carry
out The cSjcct, The, l have no doubt,
can be easily done.
As to the future details, II will be
proper Tor the local Executive Com
mittee OF the Western Water Ways
Improvement Convention in Mem
phis, appointed by the convention
held at New Orleans in 1885, to CORE.
spond with the similar committees al
other points along the river and its
tributaries, and thus work up q gen.
ersl interest throughout the valley in
the scheme. In the New Orleans
convention there wers eighteen States
represented, nine of them quite fully,
and the other niue rather meg ,rly.
The Governors Of these States
and the Mayors OF the principal cities
should be invited to appoist delegates
to attend the convention, and every
effort ma ie to secure full at enhance.
This, to bs properly done, cannot bs
hastily done, but will require time.
An important factor in the scheme
then is to fix cate FOR holding the
convention. For seve al reasons |
think il would be unwise to fix an
early day. The first object of such a
convention will BE- to impress upon
Congress the determine ION of the
Mississippi Valley 10 insist upon
is interests being recognized by
liberal appropriationssfor the improve
ment OF the Mississippi river. To carry
out this idea most effectively, the de-
alterations Of the convention should
be- but short time before the reas-
sembling of Congress, herwise lis
expressions will be dissipated and be-
come stale before Gong ess meets. 1t
should also be considered that such
convention would embody men of
both political parties, and with many
varying shades Of opinion regarding
the Presidents action in the "pocket
veto" of the river and harbor bill.
Tois would very likely produce fac.
tions In the convention at this juno
ture, when many of our own people
sresmarting under the disappointment
occasioned by tue failure of tue river
and haIbor bill. Such a convention
as ia Contemplated should bs entirely
Harmonious to tfftci any good. ANY
unseemly wrangling over such an
issue rs the pocket veto would result
in damage rather than benefit. With
the lapse Of time the angry feeling will
tone down, aud wise conservatism
prevail in the conventions deli "a,
tions.
All these things being considerl,
should say that next fall, about the
middle OF October, would be the most
suitable time to fix upon FIR the con.
yention to meet. t. q. DABNEY.